<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Tale of Lu Ten by ExyCherry</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25546384">The Tale of Lu Ten</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExyCherry/pseuds/ExyCherry'>ExyCherry</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Iroh (Avatar) loves Tea, Slice of Life, brief mentions of his dead wife oops, i wrote this while listening to leaves from the vine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:22:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>608</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25546384</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExyCherry/pseuds/ExyCherry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Iroh has a moment with his son.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Iroh &amp; Lu Ten</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Tale of Lu Ten</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>gonna be completely honest, i listened to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9kZbDbCU_k">leaves from the vine on loop for an hour</a>, cried the whole time, and then i wrote this because i just love to feel pain.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Daddy! Daddy! Come look!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iroh smiled at his son as he frolicked among the fire lilies. The war had yet to touch young Lu Ten, still the carefree child his father had raised. He had his mother’s smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it, my son?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come look!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iroh stood and made his way towards Lu Ten, and was delighted to find his son holding a butterfly in his tiny palm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is beautiful, Lu Ten,” Iroh said proudly, reaching out to ruffle the child’s hair. Lu Ten laughed and threw his arms in the air, and the butterfly flew off. This seemed to upset him greatly, as his face screwed up in a frown and hot tears rolled down his cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daddy, why did it go away?” he wailed. Iroh held out his own arms and folded his son tightly against his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do not fret, my son,” he said gently, stroking the boy’s head. “Nothing is forever. The butterfly is going home to its family now. But one day you will see another, and you will be glad it came back to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This appeased the distraught child and he sniffled, wiping the snot from his face onto his father’s robes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daddy,” Lu Ten said, “is that what happened to Mommy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iroh paused for a moment, unsure of how to respond. But his son was gazing at him expectantly with his wide doe eyes, and it was not within him to deny the child anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Iroh said carefully. “Nothing is forever, and your mother was no exception. She is at peace now. You will see her again someday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But why not now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is not yet time. You can visit her in the flowers, greet her in the trees, see her in the ponds. You will see her anywhere you choose to look, Lu Ten. I see her in you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lu Ten tilted his head to the side inquisitively. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” he asked, awestruck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Iroh replied with a sad smile. “You have her smile. She was a beautiful woman, your mother. I never saw her without a smile.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gently poked his son in his stomach, causing the boy to giggle and break into a wide grin. He was missing one of his front teeth already. Soon he would be old enough to begin his training for the war, a fact which caused Iroh’s own smile to recede back into his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is getting late,” he said, changing the subject. “Come. We will miss dinner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Daddy, I want to play in the flowers!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You will miss your tea if you stay here,” Iroh said gravely. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lu Ten’s eyes widened and he gasped, his tiny hands flying up to cover his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remember what I taught you?” Iroh said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A man must </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> miss his tea,” his son replied gravely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is right, my son. It is time to go inside now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daddy, will you carry me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iroh sighed and shook his head, then crouched and opened his arms for his son. Lu Ten ran and jumped into his father’s embrace, then shrieked with glee as Iroh tossed him into the air and caught him again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sing the song! Sing the song!” the child begged enthusiastically. Iroh smiled and adjusted his grip on his son, holding him tight against his chest as he walked them home for dinner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leaves from the vine.” Iroh began gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sun was dipping below the horizon as he walked, but a warm summer breeze kept the chill of night at bay. It was a perfect evening to spend with his son, and he would treasure the memory for years to come.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>as always, you can find me on tumblr <a href="https://crows-scones-and-exy-thrones.tumblr.com/">@crows-scones-and-exy-thrones</a>. if you enjoy my work, consider donating to <a href="https://ko-fi.com/jupitercorvusprior">my ko-fi</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>